That kid got a slap from his mother for being rude.
Source: tatoeba (47523)
Slap
/slæp/
Synonyms for "slap" (216 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (44)
Strong matches (64)
Related words (108)
parting shotpeltperfectlyplankplopplumbplumpplunkpoint-blankpokepopprecipitantlyprecipitatelyprecipitouslypreciselypunchput downput onput-downput-on
Show 68 more words
quipquiteraprebuffrebukereportreprimandreproofrightrude reproachscathescoffscorescourgescurrilitysharpshort answershotslamslap in the faceslap onslap the faceslashslatslingsmacksocietysockspankspatsplashsplatsquarelystabstaggerstartlinglystraightstrikestripesuddensuddenlysurprisinglyswapswatswipetaptauntthrowthrustthwacktoken punishmenttosstrytwitunawaresunexpectedlyutterlyverbal thrustwallopwhackwhamwhapwhipwhirlwhompwhopwithout noticewithout warning
Noun(16 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: smack, abruptly, affront, all at once, all of a sudden.
- Sentence evidence is available for slap, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "slap".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "slap"
Keep "slap" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "slap" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "slap", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "slap" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
15 entriesMore specific
8 entriesCollocations
16 entriesbackhand slaploud slappalm strikeslap a labelslap braceletslap on paintslap on sunscreenslap on the wristslap togetherslapdash designslapdash draftslapdash jobslapdash workslapstick filmslapstick humorslapstick routine
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
116 translations across 46 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- backos verb (to give a slap)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ῥαπίζω verb (to give a slap)
Ao
1 entries- ama (Chungli) verb (to give a slap)
Arabic
4 entries- أعطى كف verb (to give a slap)
- رزع verb (to give a slap)
- رقع verb (to give a slap)
- رقع verb (to give a slap)
Armenian
2 entries- ապտակել verb (to give a slap)
- չափալախել verb (to give a slap)
Assamese
1 entries- চৰিওৱা verb (to give a slap)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- şapalaqlamaq verb (to give a slap)
Basque
1 entries- aurpegian jo verb (to give a slap)
Bikol Central
1 entries- sapak verb (to give a slap)
Bulgarian
2 entries- зашлевявам verb (to give a slap)
- шляпвам verb (to give a slap)
Catalan
1 entries- bufetejar verb (to give a slap)
Central Kurdish
2 entries- زلە لێدان verb (to give a slap)
- چەپۆک لێدان verb (to give a slap)
Cherokee
1 entries- ᎠᏏᏛᏂᎭ verb (to give a slap)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 掌摑 /掌掴 verb (to give a slap)
Dutch
2 entries- kletsen verb (to give a slap)
- meppen verb (to give a slap)
Esperanto
1 entries- vangofrapi verb (to give a slap)
Finnish
4 entries- läpsähdys noun (The sound of such a blow.)
- läpsäys noun (The sound of such a blow.)
- räpsähdys noun (The sound of such a blow.)
- läimäyttää verb (to give a slap)
French
2 entries- fesser verb (to give a slap)
- gifler verb (to give a slap)
German
4 entries- (leicht) schlagen verb (to give a slap)
- klatschen verb (to give a slap)
- ohrfeigen verb (to give a slap)
- patschen verb (to give a slap)
Gothic
1 entries- 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍀𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 verb (to give a slap)
Greek
2 entries- σφαλιαρίζω verb (to give a slap)
- χαστουκίζω verb (to give a slap)
Hindi
1 entries- थप्पड़ मारना verb (to give a slap)
Hungarian
4 entries- arcul csap verb (to give a slap)
- arcul üt verb (to give a slap)
- képen töröl verb (to give a slap)
- pofon vág verb (to give a slap)
Ido
1 entries- frapar verb (to give a slap)
Indonesian
1 entries- menampar verb (to give a slap)
Ingrian
4 entries- iskiä verb (to give a slap)
- issuttaa verb (to give a slap)
- kleittää verb (to give a slap)
- kommia verb (to give a slap)
Italian
3 entries- colpire verb (to give a slap)
- dare una pacca a verb (to give a slap)
- schiaffeggiare verb (to give a slap)
Japanese
2 entries- ひっぱたく verb (to give a slap)
- 平手打ちする verb (to give a slap)
Khmer
2 entries- ទះ verb (to give a slap)
- ទះកំផ្លៀង verb (to give a slap)
Latin
2 entries- alapam dō verb (to give a slap)
- depalmo verb (to give a slap)
Māori
2 entries- pāhia verb (to give a slap)
- taupaki verb (to give a slap)
Norman
4 entries- charbousseter verb (to give a slap)
- cliamûser verb (to give a slap)
- cliaper verb (to give a slap)
- cliatchi verb (to give a slap)
Norwegian
2 entries- fike verb (to give a slap)
- slå verb (to give a slap)
Old English
1 entries- plættan verb (to give a slap)
Pennsylvania German
1 entries- aabappe verb (to give a slap)
Persian
1 entries- سیلی زدن verb (to give a slap)
Portuguese
2 entries- dar um tapa verb (to give a slap)
- esbofetear verb (to give a slap)
Quechua
1 entries- ch'aqlay verb (to give a slap)
Russian
4 entries- хлопо́к noun (The sound of such a blow.)
- шлепо́к noun (The sound of such a blow.)
- дава́ть пощёчину verb (to give a slap)
- дать пощёчину verb (to give a slap)
Spanish
4 entries- bofetada noun (The sound of such a blow.)
- cachetada noun (The sound of such a blow.)
- abofetear verb (to give a slap)
- bofetear verb (to give a slap)
Swahili
1 entries- kibare noun (The sound of such a blow.)
Swedish
1 entries- smälla till verb (to give a slap)
Turkish
4 entries- aşk etmek verb (to give a slap)
- sille atmak verb (to give a slap)
- tokatlamak verb (to give a slap)
- vurmak verb (to give a slap)
Urdu
1 entries- تھپڑ مارنا verb (to give a slap)
Vietnamese
3 entries- tát verb (to give a slap)
- vả verb (to give a slap)
- vỗ verb (to give a slap)
Volapük
1 entries- flapilön verb (to give a slap)
Sample sentences
35 total sentences available.
His rude reply provoked her to slap him on the face.
Source: tatoeba (287596)
Even so ... she didn't have to slap me!
Source: tatoeba (328309)
Her being fired was a real slap in the face after everything she did for the company.
Source: tatoeba (553865)
Showing 4 of 35 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "slap"?
Closest matches include smack, abruptly, affront, all at once, all of a sudden.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "slap"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.